Apparatus for manufacturing gas



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/ l l il l UNITED STATES PATENT y OFFICE.

HENRY C. REW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

Q ?ECEFICAEON forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,506, dated May 11, 1886. Application filed November 14, 1885. Serial No. 182,875. (No model.)

To all whom Z775 may concern.:

Beit known that I, HENRY C. REW, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful ImproVements in Apparatus for Manufacturing Gas; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to themanufacture of gas, and is an improvement on the cupola process and apparatus, as hereinafter described.

Heretofore in the manufacture of gas by the singlecupola process, where the fuel or combustion chamber provided with a direct airblast has been located in theupper part ofthe cupola and the fixing chamber below, no provision has been made for the superheating of the steam before bringing itin contact with the carbonaceous material. Furthermore,

but asingle tire has been used for the decomposition of the steam. Experience has now abundantly demonstrated the fact that steam cannot be completely decomposed by passing it through a single fire, as but a very limited and insufficient quantity of white-hot fuel suitable for that purpose can be provided in a single cupola. The gas manufactured in a single cupola is therefore of poor quality. The steam being only partially decomposed, the gas docs not become thoroughly lixed, and is left in a somewhat vaporous condition, which condenses and stops the burners with tar at a moderate distance from the Works. Furthermore,gratebars have been used, which are soon destroyed bythe action of the hot gases, and the ash-pit has been so constructed that the ashes were driven into the fixingchamber by rthe operation of the blast, thereby choking up and obstructing the passages and spaces in the loose brick-work.

rlhe object of thisimprovement is, therefore, as follows: First, to thoroughly superheat the steam to its decomposing temperature before bringing it in contact with the carbonaceous material for decomposition; second, to provide a much larger and sufficient supply. of

white-hot fuel for the complete and perfect decomposition of the steam; third, to dispense with grate-bars in a cupolagenerating-A furnace having the fu el-chamber located above the superheating or xing'chamber, and to so construct the combustionchambers and the ash-pits that little or no ashes will be driven into the superhelating and xing chambers by the operation of the air-blast.

Having stated the nature and object of my invention, I will now proceed to describe it moreparticularly with reference to the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specication..

The drawing represents a vertical section of my improved apparatus.

Two cupolas are used, having the combustion-chambers A A' located in the upper part of each cupola, and the superheating-chamber B and the gasliixing chamber B', loosely filled with brick-work, located below the combustion chambers, as shown. Brick work arches separate the 'fuellchambers A A from chambers B B. The cupolas are connected by the flue Ein the upper part of the combustion` chamber, and tlues D D', provided with valves' cl d', lead from flue E to the tops of chambers B B, forl conducting products of combustion from the tops of fuel-chambers A A to the tops of the superheating and fixing chambers B B. Flues F F', having valves f f, connect the bases of chambers A Al with the tops of chambers B B. Air-blasts GO', having` valves c c', connect with annular tlues P I, having tuyeres or ports p p leading into the bases ofthe fuelchambers A A. Perforated brick arches for supporting the brick-work are' located at the bases of chambers B B, forming chambers I I. Outletpipes G G', for products of combustion, controlled by safety-valves g g, extend from chambers I l', and pipe K, having valve k, for the outlet of gas, extends from pipe G. Supply-pipes L, M, and N, (having controllingvalves) respectively, for air, steam, and gas, connect with chamber I of superheating-chamber B. Steam and oil supply pipes .I H connect with the top of the fixing-chamber B.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The combustion'chambers A A are suitably charged with carbonaceous material and ignited, and the valves d and d in the fines D and D and the valves y g in the outlet-dues ICC G G are opened. The fires are simultaneously urged by an air-blast admitted through the pipes C C, controlled by valves c c. P and P' represent annular ilues running entirely round each eombustionchamber, which are connected with the combustion-chambers by the tuyere-heles pp'. The airis driven through the annular flues and tuyere-holes and enters the fuel in the combustion-chambers from every side. The products of combustion and gases generated are driven upward through the fuel and then downward through the fines E and D D' into the upper part of the superheating and fixing chambers B and B. Air from the annular flues is also admitted with the'hot'gascs into those chambers through the iiues F F,controlled by valves fj", which causes the gases to burn,and the hot products pass downward through the chalnbers B B', highly heating` the loose brick-work therein contained. Vhen properly heated, the airblast is shut off and the valvesdd in the fines D D' are closed. Steam is then admitted at the top of chambers B B through pipes H H', which drives out the products of combustion remaining in the brick'work. The valvesg g' in the fines G G' are then closed, the gasoutlet valve 7c in the pipe K is opened, and the apparatus is then ready to manufacture and tix gas.' Steam, air, or gas, or any miX ture of the same, is then admitted at the bottom of the superheatng'-chamber B through pipes L, M, and N` and the mixed gases are driven up through the briclework, where they are heated to their decomposing-temperature. From the upper p-lrt of chamber B the mixed gases pass up through tlue F and through the annularflue Pand tuyere-holes p into the combustion-chamber, where they are wholly or partially decomposed in contact with the incandescent carbonaceous material. The gases generated are then driven through the tlue E into the adjoining combastion-chamber A', and down th rough the incandescent fuel, where the operation ot' thoroughly decomposing the miXed gases is completed. The gasesthen pass downward through the fine F' into the fixingchamber B', and down through the heated refractory material, becoming thereby fixed into a homogeneous gas, then ont through the pipe Kto the main. A test-burneris connected with the pipe K, and in case the gas needs enriching oil or oil vapors may be injected in the upper part of the fixing-chamber B' through pipe J, which will be combined and fixed with the gases in their passage through the fixingchamber, and a fixed gas of' any desired candle-power can thus be manufactured. Air or a non-illuminating gas or steam can be used separately and driven into the bottom of chamberB through pipes L, M, or N, and thus utilized as a medium for the manufacture of gas, according to the material used in the combustion-chambers A A and the quality of gases that it is desired to manufacture.

The combustionchambers A A are charged with fuel through the tight feeding apparatus O O', in order that no heat and gas may be allowed to escape when fuel is charged in. The ashes are removed from the bottom of the cornbustion-chambers through the doors R R, located below the annular tlues P P' and the tuyere-holes p p.

The advantages gained by nlyimproved apparatus are as follows: First, the steam is highly superh cated to its deeomposing-temperatu re before coming in contact with the carbonaceous material; second, the mixed gases previously heated to their decomposiiig-temperature are driven through two combustion-chambers and in contact with a much larger supply of incandescent carbonaceous material as compared with apparatus containing only one combustiOIrchamber, by which means they are thoroughly and completely decomposed, and a fixed gas of much higher quality and capable of heilig carried through pipes for any reasonable distance without condensing is manufactured; third, the operation of the air-blast is such thatlittle or no ashes are blown from the combustion-chambers into the superheating and fixing chambers B B', by which means the passages through the loose brick-work are left more free and open for the passage of the gases, as described.

Having thus described the apparatus, what l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

l. The combination of the combustion and generating chambers A A', havingthe connecting-flue E at the top thereof, the superheating and fixing chambers B B', located below chambers A A', the outlets for products of combustion D D', connecting the tops of chambers A A with chambers B B', and air-inlets G C', all connected as described.

2. The combination ofthe comlmstion'chamber A, the superheatiiig-chamber B, the fines F E D, connected, as described, with the com bastion-chamberA', and the gas-fixing cham ber B', having the iiues F E D', as and for the purpose described.

3. rlhecombination of the combustion-chamb er A, the superheatingchamber B, the combustion-chalnber A', and the gas-fixing chamber B', with the gas, steam, air, and oil inlets, and flue E, connecting, as described, and the outlets for products of combustion and gas connecting with the bases ot' chambers B B', for the purpose described.

4. The combination of the combustion-chamber A, the superheating-chamber B, having a steam-supply pipe` and an outletfor products of combustion connecting at its base with the vcombustion-chamber A, the gas-fixing chamber B', having an oil supply pipe, and the flue E, connccting-chambers A A at the top, and outlet-pipes for products of combustion and gas leading from the base of chamber B', as shown and described.

HENRY C. RE\V. llitnesses:

S. Bniisnnfius, O. E. DUFFY.

IOO 

